What is Wegovy ® ?
Wegovy ® (semaglutide) is an injectable prescription only medicine (POM) used in conjunction with reduced calorie diet and increased physical exercise. Wegovy ® has a dosage schedule to help your body adjust to the treatment. It is important to take Wegovy ® as prescribed by your ReNu doctor to help you reach the full semaglutide dosage of 2.4mg over 5 months.
What is the most important information I should know about Wegovy ® ?
Common side effects include:
- headache
- abdominal pain
- indigestion (acid reflux)
- fatigue (low energy)
- dizziness
- swollen abdomen
- passing gas
- belching
- hair loss
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhoea
- constipation
In most cases, these effects should be temporary. The most common side effect reported is nausea. Some people report feeling sick after injecting their first dose. Suggestions to help manage the nausea include:
- eating plain or bland foods like toast or rice
- eating food that contains a greater water content - eg. soups
- eat slowly
- ginger herbal tea.
Can I stay on Wegovy ® for life?
Wegovy ® has been developed and approved for long term weight loss treatment, as long as there are no contraindications to do so or is not causing unbearable side effects. Most studies had patients on medication for 24 months.
Wegovy ® may cause serious rare side effects including:
- Possible Thyroid tumours including thyroid cancers: In studies with rodents, Wegovy ® and medicines that work through the same chemical action, caused thyroid tumours, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy ® will cause thyroid cancers called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in humans but as a precaution, Wegovy ® is contraindicated if you or any of your family have ever had a type of medullary thyroid cancer or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
- Inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis).
- Gall bladder problems including gallstones
- Increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), especially those who also take medicines for diabetes such as insulin or sulfonylureas (eg. glyclazide)
- Kidney problems (kidney failure)
- Severe allergic reaction
For further detailed drug information please follow this LINK
PLEASE NOTE: Wegovy ® launched on the UK on 4 September 2023 and is available for some patients on the NHS for free for weight management in line with NICE guidance. Please follow this LINK for the full guidance
Our ReNu doctors recommends that any individual considering trying weight loss medications review this NHS LINK
weight loss treatment
The Wegovy ® dosing schedule is as follows:
- Start Wegovy® at a dose of 0.25 mg once a week for your first month.
- For your second month, increase your weekly dose to 0.5 mg.
- For your third month, increase your weekly dose to 1.0 mg.
- For your fourth month, increase your weekly dose to 1.7 mg.
- The target maintenance dosage for Wegovy® is 2.4mg once weekly
You may stay on your current dosage for longer than 4 weeks if you're experiencing side effects, or you are happy with your weight on a particular dose level, even though you will lose the most weight on the recommended maintenance dose of 2.4mg.
How many dosages are in a Wegovy pen?
Wegovy ® comes as a coloured pen. Each pen is pre-filled with 4 doses.
The pens are:
- Green (0.25mg)
- Pink (0.5mg)
- Brown (1mg)
- Blue (1.7mg)
- Black (2.4mg)
How often do I inject Wegovy?
Wegovy ® is injected once per week. You should inject your Wegovy dose on the same day each week.
What if I miss a dose of Wegovy?
If you have forgotten or missed a dose of Wegovy ® .
- If it has been 5 days or less, inject it as soon as you remember. You should then inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day.
- If it has been more than 5 days, you should skip the missed dose, Inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day.
Are the dosing schedules the same for other weight loss medications?
The dosing schedule for Wegovy ® is different to other weight loss medicines. It is possible to switch from other weight loss medication to Wegovy ® under the supervision of a ReNu doctor.
